The present invention relates to a head for a monopod and, more specifically, to a robust monopod head enabling tilting of a mounted optical instrument either parallel or normal to the instrument's optical axis.
A tripod provides unmoving support of a camera, binoculars, telescope or other optical instrument. This is particularly important when photographing with a long exposure time where even slight movement can cause blurring of the image. While a tripod provides excellent stability, a monopod provides better control of the instrument than handholding, particularly when using long, heavy telephoto lenses and a monopod is typically lighter, smaller and more portable than a tripod. The freedom of movement offered by a monopod's single point of support makes it easier to pan shots and visually acquire moving objects. The combination of mobility and stability offered by a monopod often makes the monopod the support of choice for optical instruments in the field where monopods are commonly used by wildlife and sports photographers.
While a camera or other optical instrument could be attached directly to a monopod, the stability provided by the monopod is adversely affected if the monopod is tilted to orient the camera or other instrument. A ball head is often used in conjunction with a monopod to enable tilting of the instrument relative to the monopod. However, ball heads commonly have a restricted range of motion and the friction setting mechanism is often not sufficiently robust to restrain instruments with long, heavy lenses particularly when the monopod is moved. What is desired, therefore, is a robust head for a monopod that enables a large, heavy instrument to be adequately restrained but easily tilted through a wide range of movement in either direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the monopod with the optical axis of the instrument either aligned parallel or perpendicular to the axis about which the instrument is being tilted.